Aadhaar, invoice made mandatory for liquor vends in Haryana

PTI|

Updated: Mar 05, 2018, 08.26 PM IST

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In the new excise policy for 2018-19 unveiled today, the Haryana government proposed an 8 per cent increase in minimum retail price (MRP) of country liquor while preferring not to touch the MRP of IMFL.

Aadhaar number and issue of invoice for sale of alcohol has been made mandatory for retail liquor vends in Haryana, a top official said.

Moreover, no liquor sale will be allowed in around 200 villages on the request of panchayats in the state.

While not raising the strength of liquor vends for 2018-19, the M L Khattar government proposed "massive" hike of about 57 per cent in excise duty on country liquor and up to 10 per cent increase on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), which may lead to increase in liquor prices.

In the new excise policy for 2018-19 unveiled here today, the Haryana government proposed an 8 per cent increase in minimum retail price (MRP) of country liquor while preferring not to touch the MRP of IMFL.

Haryana posted 13 per cent growth in excise and VAT revenue on liquor at Rs 5,682 crore over last fiscal's mobilisation despite the ban imposed by the Supreme Court on liquor vends within 500 meters of national and state highways, an official said.

"For applicants L-2/ L-14 A which are retail vends, Aadhaar card has been made mandatory. It will help in conducting the verification of applicants and check any shortcomings," said Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Excise and Taxation) Sanjeev Kaushal while talking to reporters here today.

In another important move, the excise policy also made mandatory for liquor vends to issue invoice for the sale of liquor to customers.

"Earlier, the invoice was mandatory if the liquor sale was more than Rs 1,000. But now, we have made compulsory for vends to give invoice to customers with every sale of liquor," said Haryana ACS, who was accompanied by the Excise and Taxation Commissioner Ashima Brar.

Kaushal said the basic quota of Country Liquor (CL) has been raised from 950 lakh proof litres (PL) to 1,000 lakh PL and of IMFL from 550 lakh PL to 600 lakh PL.

"The number of retail outlets will remain the same as was in 2017-18," said ACS adding that the government had brought down the number of vends from 3,491 in 2016-17 to 2,323 in 2017-18.

He said excise duty on CL has been increased from Rs 28 to Rs 44 per PL whereas, on IMFL, it has been increased from Rs 44-200 per PL to Rs 49-210 per PL.

He informed that the MRP of CL had been increased from Rs 130 per bottle to Rs 140 per bottle.

Asked what could be the impact on retail prices of liquor, Kaushal said no increase in MRP of IMFL had been proposed. "Manufacturers will look at their prices. But we do not expect them to change their prices (in case of IMFL)," he said.

To a query, Haryana ACS said liquor will not be sold in as many as 198 villages which is the highest ever number of Panchayats whose request for not opening liquor vends was granted.

"During this year, we received 500 resolutions passed by Gram panchayats against opening of liquor vends. However, out of these 198 were found to be genuine," he said.

Kaushal said it has been decided that for environment protection, the distilleries would provide 20 per cent quota in glass bottles for CL.

To tighten noose around those involved in the practice of illegal sale and smuggling of liquor, Kaushal said Haryana government has also decided to set up an Enforcement Wing headed by Excise and Taxation Commissioner (ETC).

He said that the export duty on CL has been reduced from Rs. 1.5 to Rs. 0.50.

Kaushal said Re 1 per bottle of CL, IMFL or beer sold in the state would be utilised for the promotion of sports activities whereas, Rs 3, Rs 5 and Rs 7 respectively for every bottle of beer, CL and IMFL sold would be transferred to Panchayati Raj Institutions for development activities in the rural areas.

The distribution of these funds would be in the ratio of 70:20:10 for Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads.

Apart from this, keep in view the interest of the people, it has been decided that the licence for serving liquor for one day during function at commercial places like banquet halls would be granted online, he added.

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